My Kitchen Rules: meet group 2

On Monday the second group of My Kitchen Rules contestants hit our screens.

The first instant restaurant of Group 2 is on Tuesday in Tasmania at the family farm of Henry & Anna.

Henry & Anna Tas: Truffle farmersBack by popular demand, truffle farmer Henry (26) and his sister Anna (24) are set to open the rst instant restaurant of Group 2 on their family farm in Tassie’s Deloraine. “Last season Damo and Caz gave us a quick visit to buy some truffles for their Instant Restaurant,” Henry tells. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t attract a little bit of attention.” Caz’s crush sent social media alight and media across the country clamoured to talk to the handsome Tasmanian. “Caz got me into this mess I think,” Henry laughs. The a able siblings admit they’re not the most experienced cooks. “We’re born and bred country kids,” Henry says. “We’ve grown up with simple food and that’s what we’re going to serve.” “If we can put out three courses and no one vomits, no one cries and I don’t chop a finger off or break anything, it’ll be a good night,” jokes Anna. “We really want to showcase our love of truffles and how proud we are of what mum and dad have created,” she adds. “We’re so lucky to have grown up on a truffle farm. It’s very special to us.” “To experience something like this with your sister and best mate is once in a lifetime,” Henry confesses. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be doing it with.”

Dan & Gemma SA: In-lawsCricket tragics Dan (27) and Gemma (38) are in-laws from Adelaide hoping to score a century with their tried and tested comfort food. “Gemma and I have two things in common – stubbornness and sport,” says Dan, a plumber. “We can be quite competitive.” “We’re both really sporty people and, when you put those competitive juices into cooking, we should be able to do really well,” adds social media manager Gemma. “We’re here for a test series not a one-dayer.” Dan has been with Gemma’s sister for about eight years. “I would describe Dan as your typical beer drinking Aussie bloke,” Gemma spills. “Our families are really close. He’s like my brother… well just as annoying as my brother. “We’re doing this together because both of our partners can’t cook,” Dan explains. “We’re going to cook food that people enjoy, stuff that we eat at home.” Dan and Gemma admit things can get quite fiery between them in the kitchen. “Gemma and I argue a lot,” Dan confesses. “If we don’t like the way we’re doing something we’ll let each other know how we feel.” “We’ll sling a bit of shit on each other,” Gemma smiles.

Davide & Marco WA: Lifelong matesPerth childhood friends Davide (36) and Marco (32) want to give guests a taste of true Italian cooking. “People are always trying to reinvent Italian food,” says Davide, a computer systems engineer. “You don’t need to reinvent the classics.”Davide pronounced Davi-day (“don’t call me David”) and Marco are immensely proud of their Italian heritage but Davide admits they can be very competitive. “We’re really close family friends. We’ve known each other since Marco was born,” he says. “I think Marco by nature is the more competitive one.” “I love to win,” Marco confesses, “ …but I’m not a bad loser.” “No, you’re a sore winner and that’s worse!” Davide laughs. “We have a fantastic chemistry when we cook together,” Marco reveals. “We’re always laughing, yelling, fighting, bickering…” “You’ll get every emotion under the sun with us!” adds Davide. Marco, GM of a scaffolding company, recently got married to the love of his life while “mamma’s boy” Davide currently lives at home. “Passionate is a great way to describe us, but to use a different word I’d say just awesome,” Marco smiles.

Olga & Valeria: NSW: Cooking ComradesCooking comrades from Sydney Olga (33) and Valeria (26) are on a mission to put the food of their Russian motherland on the map. “We want to show that Russians don’t just drink vodka and fight bears,” freelance photographer Valeria says with a smile. “And to prove that Russians aren’t really all that bad… not all the time.” Olga, a business consultant, feels that Russian food is really under-represented in Australia. The straight shooters became friends while working together in her former business, a Russian bakery in Newtown.“To be honest we’re not here to make friends,” Olga confesses. “If it happens I don’t mind, however our primary goal is to win the competition so the other teams better watch out.” “Australians are so fricken different to Russians,” Valeria comments. “They’re very laidback,” Olga interjects. “Which really to us means lazy,” Valeria explains. “We honestly feel that we have the ability to win. We’re going to say truth in the face and I’m sorry if that’s going to slap you but that’s the way it’s going to go.” “For me, being critical is saying it can be better. Next time make it better,” she continues. “If they can’t take it, that’s not my problem.” “We come from a competitive nation” Olga shares. “We’re con dent about our skills. We want to win and we want to win with a bang!”

Georgie & Alicia NSW: Confident siblingsSisters Georgie (25) and Alicia (30) hail from Australia’s home of “big things” Coffs Harbour and they’re planning to deliver big scores in the competition with their modern take on Asian cuisine. “Our parents run a Chinese restaurant so we definitely have something to prove,” Alicia reveals. “As kids we were wrapping wontons and peeling carrots instead of playing games.”“We love our food and we have high standards,” she continues. “We don’t go to a restaurant expecting terrible food.” “Growing up in the family restaurant observing our dad cooking definitely gives us an advantage,” Georgie says. “We have what it takes to win this!” “We talk a big game but we know that we can do the cooking to prove it,” Alicia adds. “I will be disappointed if we don’t get a 10… let alone three 10s!” Georgie and Alicia confess they’re an acquired taste. “I openly admit that I can be really bitchy,” Alicia explains. “Part of that is our cultural upbringing. Our parents have no lter and I think we’re both thick skinned because of that.” “That’s how you get through life, with honesty” Georgie says. “Ultimately we don’t care what other teams think about us.” “We had resting bitch face from a very young age,” Alicia laughs.

Matt & Aly Qld: Defence force foodiesDefence force foodies from Brisbane Matt (26) and Aly (25) are gearing up to impress the troops. “Coming from a military background, it’s really been drilled into us – ‘prior preparation prevents poor performance’,” explains Aly, a nursing officer in the Royal Australian Airforce. “I’m the fourth generation of serving military members in my family,” she says. “I just always wanted to help people.” “I’m proud to be a cavalry officer in the Australian Army,” Matt tells. “In 2015, I deployed to Iraq mentoring the Iraqui security forces in their fight against ISIS.” “Serving is in our blood,” he continues. “Both my dad and grandad were in the army and my nan was in the air force. It’s a real sense of pride knowing that our job matters.” Aly describes the loved up duo’s cooking style as a little bit of everything. “We’ll experiment in the kitchen,” Matt elaborates. “If it’s tasty we’ll run with it, if it isn’t we’ll never cook it again.” “We’re both fairly competitive people and that’s been part of our relationship from the start, at work, in sport and in cooking,” Aly reveals. “We’re used to working in really high pressure situations,” she says. “Our jobs are literally about life and death. I’m hoping that and the teamwork that’s been drilled into us is something that will set us apart from the other teams.” “And it’ll be really good to show Australia that young people in the military can put on a decent spread,” she adds.

Pat & Louisa NSW: Mum & daughterSydney mother and daughter Pat (61) and Louisa (31) are ready to take centre stage with a show-stopping menu. “Mum is very down to be hip,” Louisa reveals. “She’s like a 22-year-old. She loves slang…” “YOLO! LOL! OMG! ILY!” jokes leopard print-lover Pat, who admits she’s “always on the prowl.” “Hot dudes and hot food,” Louisa laughs. “Louisa’s dad passed away 10 years ago. We miss him,” Pat explains. “He was a good man and definitely an influence on our cooking.” “I think he’d be proud to see some Hungarian food on Australian TV,” Louisa says, reflecting on her father’s heritage. Pat, who was born in Italy, works as a receptionist while daughter Louisa is a primary school teacher. “I really love the kids and working with them every day,” Louisa shares. “Mum is the best person to go in this competition with cause she’s not a regular mum, she’s cool,” she continues. “She knows her stuff, she knows her flavours, she’s been cooking forever and everyone loves her food.” “Don’t put so much pressure on me dear!” Pat exclaims. “We just like to bring joy to the kitchen. Food not only nurtures the body, it nurtures relationships.” “Winning My Kitchen Rules would be the pinnacle, the top, the highest point of my life,” the cool mum continues with a smile. “Game over, mic drop!”

Sonya & Hadil NSW: BestiesJordanian friends from Sydney, Sonya (34) and Hadil (30), want to deliver the best Middle Eastern food the competition has ever seen. “Nobody in MKR has done it justice before,” Hadil says. “Arabic food isn’t all about hummus and tabbouleh,” Sonya explains. “It’s about spice with lots of flavour and colour and that’s what we’re going to deliver.” “We aren’t going to get amateur dishes out there,” Hadil adds. “We want to give everybody fine dining. I’m not here to lose. I’m here to win and I’m not going to make any apologies for being con dent. We’re going to kill it.” The ambitious friends work in fashion and beauty and believe it’s very important to look the part. “We’re 100 per cent real except I get a little bit of botox,” beauty therapist Hadil confesses. “Once you go botox you never go back.” Sonya runs a fashion PR and events company. “I love fashion but no-one knows that I can cook and I love cooking,” she says. “Both Hadil and I are successful businesswomen because we’ve been very determined,” Sonya continues. “We’ve come into this the way that we would treat our own businesses. It’s all about great organisation, being focused and working to a plan.” “There’s no ‘I can’t’ in our vocab and there never will be,” Hadil says. “I can’t eat bland food though,” she laughs.

So we now know the all-male team that were involved in the upcoming controversy. So which of the 4 all-female teams are going to get booted!? I think too much promotion has been based around the Russians, so it’s either the “confident” & “bitchy” Asian siblings or the “ambitious” Jordanian besties.